© K. Sarneczky
On 2022 March 11.80,
K. Sarneczky found a small asteroid using the 0.60-m Schmidt + CCD of GINOP-KHK, Piszkesteto (K88 MPC code) that was soon after put on the NEOCP list with the provisional designation Sar2593 for the follow-up by other observers. The Minor Planet Center subsequently assigned the following official designation to this object
2022 EB5.
Discovery images (19:25UT) of asteroid 2022 EB5
Credit: K. Sarneczky
At 20:46UT of March 11, Bill Gray sent an
alert in the MPML mailing list about the impact of Sar2593 with the Earth's atmosphere and: "to urge European observers to take a look for this object, currently on NEOCP. It should come in at 21:23 UTC at latitude +70.47, longitude W 10.40, plus or minus a few dozen km. That's about forty minutes from "right now", a bit north of Iceland". Below you can see a map of the impact location as calculated by Gray, southwest of Jan Mayen island.
© B.Gray
Below an animation showing the impact trajectory
Below a follow-up image obtained by
P. Bacci & M. Maestripieri at the San Marcello Pistoiese Observatory (104 MPC code) just about 15 minutes before its impact.
© Gamp/UAI
2022 EB5 is a small Apollo asteroid with an estimated size of 1.0 m - 2.3 m (based on the object's absolute magnitude H=32.1). 2022 EB5 impact
infrasound detection in Greenland had been
published by P. Brown: "From this data yield is approximately 2-3 kT TNT. At 15 km/s, this is roughly 3-4 m diameter".
© P. Brown
The first time it happened was with asteroid 2008 TC3, the second was with asteroid 2014 AA, the third was 2018 LA that impacted Earth on 02 June 2018, the fourth was with asteroid 2019 MO that impactyed Earth on 22 June 2019. Another space impacting object discovered prior to its to atmospheric entry was
WT1190F but it is thought to have been a space debris, possibly the translunar injection module of Lunar Prospector. For more info about 2008 TC3, 2014 AA, 2018 LA and 2019 MO see also:
Small Asteroid 2008 TC3 to hit Earth Tonight2008 TC3 Animation2008 TC3 Update - Impact Flash Imaged from Satellite2008 TC3 Trail imaged over Northern Sudan!!!2008 TC3 Fragments Recovered!!!Small asteroid 2014 AA hit the Earth's atmosphereSmall Asteroid 2018 LA impacted Earth on 02 JuneSmall Asteroid 2019 MO impacted Earth on June 22
Comment: To be clear, by 'impact', in this case, they mean that it detonated high up in the atmosphere as a meteor fireball.
Comment: To be clear, by 'impact', in this case, they mean that it detonated high up in the atmosphere as a meteor fireball.